Contribution-box.



No. 697,231. Patented Apr-.18, |902. E. A. BURNS.

CONTRIBUTION BOX.

(Application led Feb. 4, 1902.) (No Windel.)

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EDVARD A. BURNS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

CONTRIBUTION-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 697,231, dated April 8, 1902.

Application filed February 4, 1902- Serial No. 921525. (No model.)

To @ZZ wit/0771, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD A. BURNS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Contribution-Boxes, of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to collection-boxes used for taking up contributions of money and the like in churches and other places, the object of the invention being the provision of an improved device of this kind.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a collection-box so constructed that the amount or character of each contribution deposited therein may be readily determined by the person carrying the box.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a collection-box so constructed that ready access may be had to the interior thereof for the purpose of making change and for permitting the contents of the box to be removed.

Further objects of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description, which now follows.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the collection-box. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section upon line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section upon line 3 3 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4t is a perspective view of a plate hereinafter described. Y

Like numerals designate similar parts throughout the several views.

Designated by the numeral 5 is a box-like receptacle having a hinged inwardly-Haring cover, constituting a hopper 6, and carrying a handle 7, secured thereto by screws or other fastening devices 8. This handle has va bore 9, in which is fitted a rod 10, the outer end of said rod entering a .slot 11 in the handle 9, and a pin 12 passing through a perforation in said end of the rod and being secured by riveting or otherwise at 13 13 to plates 14 14', and said plates, the pin 12, and the rod 10 being capable of a longitudinal shifting movement for a purpose hereinafter described. Carried by the inner end of the rod 10 is a plate 15, secured to said rod by a screw or other fastening device 16, a washer 17 being interposed between the face of the plate and being provided with stops 19 19, respectively,

and said stops abutting, when the lids are open, against other stops 20 20', as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, and which stops 2O 20 are composed of leather or other suitable material to deaden tho noise and cushion the impact of the lids When forced open. These lids constitute a false bottom to the cover, and while I prefer to employ them the invention is not limited to their use.

In Fig. l the lids 18 18' are illustrated in their closed positions, the pin 12, plates 14 lll', and the Winged plate 15 having been shifted to the right, in which position the in- L active portions 155 of the wings 1,52 and 153 support said lids.

placed thereon into the receptacle, the platesn 14 14E', the rod 10, and the Winged plate 15 are shifted tothe left in Fig. 1, which Will remove the inactive portions of the Wings 152 153 froln beneath said lids and will permit them to drop by gravity to the position illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, the stops 19 19' abutting against the stops 2O 20', asI hereinbefore described.

When it is desired to close the lids, the plate 15 is shifted to the right through the medium of the rod 10, pin 12, and plates 14 14:', thereby causing the lids to travel up the cam-faces 154,carried by the wings 152 and 153, until they assume their closed positions.

To further aid in rendering the operation of the box noiseless, I have provided a resilient washer 25 upon the rod 10 intermediate the plate 15 and a wall of the box, said Washer serving to cushion the impactof the plate as the plunger is shifted to the left in Fig. 1, and I have also provided a covering of fabric (indicated at 26) for the bottom of the box, said fabric servin g to deaden the noise of the falling coins.

From the above description it will be seen roo that in this improved collection-box ready access to the interior thereof may be had through the hinged cover and that Whatever money may be placed upon the lids is subject to the inspection of the person carrying the box before it is precipitated into the interior thereof.

While a handle of special construction is shown and described, it is distinctly to be un- Io derstood that my invention is not limited thereto nor is it limited to the specic devices carried by said handle for controlling the movement of the false bottom, for other devices may be employed as substitutes for I5 those shown Without departure from the invention. Neither is the invention limited to a hinged cover constituting a hopper nor to a plurality of plates for forming a false bottom to said cover, for it includes Within its purzo view any means for movably connecting the cover to the receptacle and any false bottom for temporarily retaining the contents of the cover for purposes of inspection.

Having thus described my invention, what z 5 I claim isf- 1. In a collection-box,the combination,with a receptacle, ofa cover; a false bottom for said cover; ahandle; and means movably mounted on the handle for actuating the false bottom. lZ. In a collection-box,the combination,with a receptacle, of a cover; movable lids carried by said cover; a handle rigid with the receptacle; a movable device constructed to coutrol the movement of said lids; and means carried by the handle for actuating said devlce.

3. Inacollection-box,thecombii1ation,\vith a receptacle, of a pair ot' hinged lids; a handle; and means movably mounted o-n the han- 4o dle for actuating said lids.

4. Ina collection-box,the combination ,with `a receptacle, ot' a false bottom; stops for limiting the movement of said false bottom, a device for closing said false bottom; a handle; and means movable on said handle for actuating said device.

5. Inacollection-box,thecombination,with I a receptacle, of a handle havinga bore; a rod movably mounted in said bore; lids movably 5o connected'to the receptacle; and means controlled by the rod for actuating the lids.

6. Inacollection-box,the combination,with a receptacle, of a handle having a slot and a longitudinal bore communicating with the slot and the interior of the receptacle, of a rod mounted in. said bore; ahand-grasp connected to the rod; a cover; a false bottom to said cover; and means controlled bythe rod for actuating said false bottom.

7. In a collectionbox,the combination ,with a receptacle, of a handle having a slot; plates covering said slot; a rod; means for connecting said plates to the rod; and lids controlled by the rod. v

8. In a collection-boX,the co mbination,with a receptacle, of a handle; a rod carried by said handle; a Winged plate carried by said rod; and a false bottom actuated, by said plate.

9. In acollectionbox,the combination,\vith a receptacle, of a movable plate having a cam-surface; and a false bottom actuated by said plate.

l0. In a collection-box, the combination, with av receptacle, of a movable cover; stops carried by said cover; a pair of lids hinged to the cover; stops carried by said lids; a handle; a rod carried in a bore of said handle; a movable plate having cam-surfaces, and carried by said rod; and cam-plates carried by said handle and connected to said rod.

ll. In a collection-box, the combination, with a cover for said box, of a false bottom for said cover; a handle; and means movably mounted on the handle for controlling the movement of said false bottom.

12. In a collection-box, the combination, with ahinged cover constituting a hopper; of

a false bottom for said cover; a handle; and

means carried by the handle for actuating said false bottom.

13. In a collection-box, the combination; with a receptacle, of a cover movably mounted on said receptacle; a false bottom carried by the cover, and opening by gravity; and means for positively closing said false bottom.

14. In a collection-box', the combination, with a receptacle havinga handle, of a cover hinged to said box; a false bottom composed of movably mounted plates carried by the cover; a device having cam-surfaces for actuating said plates; and means carried by the handle for actuating said device.

l5. A collection-box consisting of a receptacle; a false bottom; a handle; a device for closing said false bottom; and means movable on the handle for actuating said device.

tacle; a cover; a false bottom composed of plates movably connected to said cover; means for actuating said plates; and a device for actuating said means.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

EDWARD A. BURNS.

NVitnesse's:

FRANK G. CAMPBELL, WM. P. LARAWAY.

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